Circular knitting machine and method of operating same



June 8, 1937.

A. E. PAIGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1936 1% LP r I I I I INVIINTORS ALBERT E. PAGE HARRY SWINGLEHURST JR.

BY THEIR ATTORNEYS and June 8, 193 7. A. PAGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed April 1, 1936 4 Sheets-Shet 2 3 3 Ticri. l A ll /4 -Jsar- E I #8 h 4f :97 3

40/ a w 39a a4 aaa a: a2 a:

' INVENTORS .l. ALBERT E. PAGE HARRY SWINGLEHURST JR.

BY THEIR ATTORNEYS June 8, 1937. A. E. PAGE ET AL 2,083,394

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed April 1, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvENToRs' ALBERT E. PAGE T HARRY SWINGLEHURST JR.,

BY THEIR ATTORNEYS Y June 8, 1937. 1 A. E. PAGEET AL 2,083,394

- B AND METHOD ATI Filed April 1, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENT RS J ALBERT E. PAGE HARRY SWINGLEHURST JR. BY THEIR ATTORNEYS MMM Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES CIRCULAR KNITTING ,MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Albert E. Page, Brooklyn, and Harry Swinglehurst, Jr., Floral Park, N. Y., assignors to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 1, 1936, Serial No. 72,188

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a circular knitting machine and method of operating same, and more particularly to yarn feeding means when an elastic yarn is to be laid in plain fabric. One

object of the invention is to provide a simplified and improved mechanism for tying an elastic yarn in the top of an anklet. The invention contemplates novel manipulations of the needles and elastic yarn finger to incorporate the elastic yarn in the fabric in an efiicient manner.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a developed view, inelevation and plan, of pertinent parts of the cam cylinder and needles of a circular knitting machine embodying our invention, showing the novel manipulation of the needles and their relation to the elastic yarn finger, the arrow indicating the direction of movement of the needles;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the special needle cams used in connection with the insertion of the elastic yarn and showing how these cams affect the elevations of the different needles;

Fig. 3 is aplan view of the machine of Fig. 1, taken below the latch ring on the line 3-3 of Fig. 6, showing so much of the head of the machine as is necessary to illustrate the special needle butt cams and controls; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of so much of the left side of the machine as is necessary to' 30 illustrate the controls for the elastic yarn finger and one of the needle butt cam slides;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of sufiicient of the head of the machine, taken at a level above the latch ring, to show the controls for the elastic yarn fin- Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of such much of the right side of the machine of Fig. 1 as is necessary to show the controls of the elastic yarn finger and some of the needle cams;

40 Fig. 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic plan view of a portion of the needle circle showing how the sinkers function to measure off the elastic yarn;

Fig. 8 is a developed view in elevation showing 45 the needle yarn drafting operation corresponding to the sinker yarn drafting operation of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged diagrammatic plan view of another portion of the needle circle showing how the elastic yarn is interlaced and how special sinkers slacken certain wales of inelastic yarn;

Fig. 10 is a developed view in elevation corresponding to Fig. 9 showing the interlacing of the yarns at the knocking over point; while Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are views in elevation of the main drum cams actuating the thrust rods which control the elastic yarn finger and the needle selecting cams therefor, the parts being shown in their positions for the insertion of the elastic yarn; Fig. 11 showing the thrust rod for the three needle selecting cams on the right side of the machine shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 12 I showing the thrust rod for controlling the special slackening sinker cam shown in Fig. 9; and Fig. 13 showing the thrust rod on the right side of the machine for controlling the elastic yarn finger, the needle draw down cam on the right side of the machine and the elastic yarn sinkermeasuring cam of Fig. 7.

In order to incorporate an elastic yarn into plain fabric, as distinguished from rib fabric, it has been necessary heretofore in modern circular knitting machines to provide elaborate mechanism to obtain the vertical separation of needles used to tie in the elastic yarn. This mechanism customarily takes the form -of jacks or other selecting elements underneath the needles. According to the present invention it is not necessary to provide such jacks, and the needles are manipulated in a special manner which cooperates with a novel yarn finger in a manner which presents the elastic yarn to the needles in a peculiarly eflicient way.

The cams for causing the special manipulations of the needles will be described first. As can be seen by reference to Fig. 1, the machine has the usual leading stitch cam 36l and lefthand stitch cam 360 together with the upper center cam 351, lower center cam 356 and end or side cams 352, 253 and switch cam 5 of the usual revolving needle cylinder circular knitting machinemade by Scott and Williams such, for instance, as shown in the patent to Robert W. Scott 1,152,850, dated September 7, 1915. For the sake of clarity the usual narrowing and widening picks are omitted from the drawings. Fig. 1 of the drawings is taken from the inside of the machine looking outward, so that the cams which are carried on brackets on the bedplate of the machine will move toward the observer when inserted. As shown in Fig. 2, the machine is equipped with needles having four lengths of needle butts. One half the cylinder is equipped with the two shorter lengths n and 11 and the other half is equipped with the two longer lengths n and n. For example, one half of the cylinder may be equipped with needles whose butts are either .270 inch in length (n 'or .300 inch in length (n). The other half may be equipped with needles whose butts are either .360 inch in length (n or .390 inch in length (11. The

shorter lengths are on the heel side of the cylinder and the longer lengths on the instep side It has been discovered that the needle separation for laying in the elastic yarn can be created without disturbing the making of heels and toes, by making this special separation in two steps or stages as set forth herein. The manipulation of the needles to get the necessary vertical separacircle. It is the shortest butt .270 on the heel side tion for laying in of the elastic yarn commences after the preceding knitting wave. There is a special lowering cam 303 adapted,'wheninfoperative position, to lower needles with certain length butts until the heads of the needles arebelow the tops of thesinkers. When inserted to to engage only the needles n with the longest length butts, namely those .390" in length. Thus in. two operations the needles 1: and n with the shortest and longest butts, respectively, have been raised selectively above the others. It will be observed that by using these two cams 303 and 300 in this manner to take needle butt lengths as described, a separation is obtained inwhich one of the two butt lengths on each semicircle of the needle cylinder has been raised selectively above the other butt length on that semiand the longest butt .390 on the instep side which are raised selectively for the purpose of com- A mencing the laying in of the elastic yarn. The

positions,

order of the needles in each semi-circle can be varied as desired, but in the drawings we have.

shown every fourth needle as one which is not raised. The raising cam 30! does not raise the longest butt needles to the height from which they were lowered by lowering cam 303, but the heads of these needles are left a fraction of an inch above the tops of the sinkers. It is desirable that the .270 needles and the .390 needles be at the same level, and therefore there is a L short lowering cam 300 mounted approximately -above the raisingcam 300 which lowers the .270

butted needles tothe level 'of the .390 needles,

namely, with about 5' above the tops of the sinkers. The mechanism for manipulating the lowering and raising cams 303, 300 and 300 is'controlled from the main pattern drum I20. The three cams are all mounted on one slide 306 carried in a bracket 301 on the bedplate B at the left side'of the machine (Fig. 3). This slide has only two its forward or operative and its outward or inoperative position. It is moved into operation by a drum cam 450 on the main pattern drum I20 by means of a thrust red I (Fig. 11). When the thrust rod I is onthe drum cam, the slide and its needle cams are inserted. The upper end of the thrust rod is attached to one arm of a bell crank lever I05 pivoted in a vertical plane at the left side ofthe latch ring bracket I on a shaft I39 carrying another bell crank lever I00 for the elastic yarn finger, as will be described later. The other arm of the needle cam bell crank lever I" is fastened to a rigid wire I which extends forward to a position above the bracket 301 carrying the slide 308. At thispoint the rigid wire I is connected to a camming plate I41 swinging about a screw stud I49 on top of the bracket 301. This camming plate presses against a stud I40 projecting upwardly from the slide. The bell crank lever I and the camming plate I41 are so arranged that when the thrust rod "I rides up on the cam 450 the rigid wire I00 is moved-to the lever 3. and .bell crank lever I00 is one which yields in rear with the camming plate I41 pressing against the stud I40, pushing the slide radially inward to its operative position. The exact inward adv Justment of the slide and its associated cams 303,

304 and 3051s obtained by means of a set, screw I00 on the outer: end of the slide taking against the. bracket 301 (Fig. 4).

As shown in Fig. 1, there is a drawdown cam 300 adapted to act on the butts of all the needle shortly prior to the clearing of the needles.- 'lhis cam 309 can be located under the usual switch cam 5 if desired, and acts to lower all the needles with the elastic yarn in their hooks before the needles take the inelastic yarn as shown in Fig. 8. In cooperation with this the sinkers may be given a special manipulation, aswill be set The movement ofthis drawdown forth later. cam 309 into and out of operative position is controlled from the main pattern drum by means of a'thrust rod 400 (shown in Fig. 13) and its drum cams "1. 450. The drawdown cam itself is carried on a slide I00 mounted ona bracket 30I on the bedplate B onthe rightsideof the, machine and is pushed into operative position by a camming plate I00 pivotally mounted on top of the bracket 30I and-pressing against a stud on the slide I00 in a manner similar'to the pin or stud I. and camming plate I01 for the slide 300 on the left side of the machine (Fig.3).

The cam' 309 can be adjusted vertically by means" of the screws which fasten it to the slide, thus varying .the draw of the needles at this point (Fig. 6). The-connection between the'camming plate I00 and the thrust rod'ltl consists of a rigid wire I01 connected'to the camming plate and to one arm of a bell crank lever I00-mounted in a vertical plane on the opposite end of the Lhorizontalshaft I39 from the first-bell crank The connection between the wire I01 one direction and consists of a stud-projecting j laterally from'the arm of the bell crank lever and the wire I01 passing through the stud, and

there being a screw collar IO S on the outer end of the wire. The other end of the bell crank lever is pivoted on the thrust rod 400 near the upper end. These parts are so arranged that when the thrust rod israised the bell crank lever,

thelower end of the thrust rod 400 there is a cam at only one portion of the circumference. This consists of a low cam surface 450 and a 0 high cam surface 451. When the thrust rod 000 is on the low cam surface 400,-the1be1l crank lever I00 will have forced the drawdown cam 300 in- 1 wardly until it is in position to engagethe two longest lengths of needle butts, namely. those of needles 1|. and n. When the thrust rod is on the high cam surface 401, the drawdown cam will be all the way in, engaging all ,four kinds of needles n n". n a. When the thrust rod 060 drops off the high cam surface 401, the lower arm of the bell crank lever I00 merely slides along the wire I01 without moving that wire forward, and therefore other means are provided to push the drawdown cam 3 09 radially out of contact with the needle butts when permitted by the thrust rod 400. These means consist merely of a coiled compression spring I00 mounted in the bracket 39I and pressing radially outward against the outer tail of the slide I05. It might be noted finger and certain sinker manipulations which will be described later.

The elastic yarn is fed to the needles from a pivoted yarn finger I 25 mounted on a bracket I21 on the front of the usual latch ring 550. The finger has a feeding tube I28 whose lower end is held in the finger I26 by a set screw which lower end is just above the top of the highest (i. e., the selected) needles n 12*. The operative position-of the feeding end of the finger is radially just outside the needle circle and its inoperative position is when the finger is pivoted to move the feeding end radially inside the needle circle. The pivotal movements of the yarn finger into and 15 out of operative position areobtained from the high speed gear 85 at the rightside of the machine. This gear 65 turns once for every four revolutions of the needle cylinder and there is a cam 59I mounted on the side of the gear. This cam is read by a finger 592 which, when it rides up on the cam, holds the yarn finger out of operative position, i. e., with its feeding end I28 radially inside the needle circle. Normally this finger is pulled radially outward by a spring. We

will first describe the connection between the high speed gear and the finger. Attached to the finger below its pivot point is a wire leading to the rear of the machine and fastened to a crank I30 which is pivoted coaxial with the pivot 30 point 552 of the latch ring bracket. Midway on the wire I2!) is a screw stud I32 and there is a tension spring I33 between this stud and the bracket I21 of the yarn finger. The end of the wire I29 passes through the free end of the 35 crank I30wlth a screw stud I35 to the rear of the crank. With this arrangement it will be noted that the movement of the feeding end I28 of the yarn finger I28 from outside the needle circle to its inoperative position radially inside the needle circle is caused by a rearward swinging movement of the crank I30 pulling the wire toward the rear; while movement of the yarn finger to its operative position is obtained by means of the tension spring I33 whenever permitted by the crank arm I30. Through the pivot point 552 of the latch ring bracket extends a shaft I36 on which the crank arm I30 is mounted, this crank arm being on the left side of the latch ring bracket. At the right side of the latch ring bracket on this shaft I36 there is a depending rod I31 whose lower end engages one arm of a bell crank lever I38 swinging in a horizontal plane about the stud I39 on the end of the latch ring bracket 40I. The other arm of this bell crank lever I38 is attached to a rigid wire I40 extending to a position above the high speed gear 85 where it is connected to an arm I mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft I42 pivotally mounted on the table of the machine and on whose lower end is mounted the finger 582. The cam 59I on the gear 55 extends around three-quarters of the outer face of the high speed gear and when the finger 592 is on that cam the bell crank lever I 38 is pulled by the rigid wire I40 65 which swings the crank arm I 30 toward the rear,

holding the elastic yarn finger radially inward where it cannot feed yarn to the needles.

The connection which idles this control when making portions of the stocking where elastic yarn insertion is not desired is described as follows. Near the upper end of the thrust rod 450 which controls the drawdown cam 38! is a laterally extending stud I43 which overlies a side arm I44 on the depending rod I3'I (Figs. 5 and 6). When the thrust rod is off the high drum cam 451 the stud I43 pushes down on the side arm I44 tipping the depending rod I31 and the crank arm I30 so as to pull the wire I29 rearwardly and hold the elastic yarn finger in its inoperative position. This breaks the contact between the 5 depending rod I 3'! and crank lever I38 and the finger is idle regardless of gear cam 59I and finger 592.

It is contemplated that this invention may be used in a machine where the elastic yarn is not 10 out between the stockings or anklets until the same have been knit and come off the machine,

i. e., where the machine is making what is termed string work.. In order to do this it is necessary that the elastic yarn be able to pass down 15 inside the fabric tube of the machine when it is not being fed to the needles, and for thispurposethe plate 392 which carries the usual cutter and, clamp or similar device is recessed or notched at 393, as shown in Fig. 5 of the draw- 20 ings, to give plenty of clearance for the elastic yarn to pass down inside the needle cylinder.

As already explained, according to "this invention the needles are divided into two vertical banks so that .the rubber thread will feed into 25 the hooks of the raised needles. The elastic yarn finger is set just to clear the tops of the needles opposite it, and according to this invention the needles are raised immediately after passing the finger so that when the finger is inserted and 30 the point in the fabric where the elastic was fastened in on a previous course passes the finger, the elastic yarn will cut an arc across the raising angle of the needles and will surely be r inserted between the needles (see Fig. 1). With the elements arranged as described, the rubber yarn will not catch until the end of the rubber yarn in the fabric has passed the yarn finger, no matter how far ahead of the proper point the rubber finger is swung into operative position.

In this way the yarn withdrawn at a certain needle in the circumference of the machine is again inserted at a closely following needle in any following course where it may be desired to insert the rubber yarn. The level of the needles after they have been raised, just subsequent to passing the yarn finger as described, does not raise the needles above the clearing point, as to raise them any higher would clear their stitches and cause the rubber yarn to be knit in at this auxil- 50 iary feed instead of interlacing it through the wales at the regular feed as desired.

This construction with the finger located above the needles has another advantage .in that in case of a press-off there will be no trouble with latches striking the finger.

For the purpose of raising the needles just after they have passed the yarn finger, in order that the elastic yarn Y may be fed to the selected needles 8. short raising cam 388 is associated with the slide 388 which carries the cams 383, 384 and 385 for the needle selection. This cam 388 is mounted on the end of a long arm 398 pivoted on the bedplate B and it is normally in its withdrawn or inoperative position by virtue of a tension. spring 381 extending between .the bracket and an intermediate point on the arm 398. In order that the cam 388 may be pressed into its operative position where it engages the 70 butts of all the needles which are opposite it when the needle selecting cams 383, 384 and 385 go into action, there is a pin 395 lying in the bracket 38'! whose inner end engages against the arm 398 carrying the cam 388. The outer end 7 .of this pin is engaged by a set screw 996 in the depending tail of the slide 999. It therefore follows that when the slide is pushed radially inward this pin 995, pressing against the arm car- 5 rying the cam 999, will cause the cam to be pushed radially inward to its'operative position.

The set screw 996 provides a means of accurately adjusting the operative position of the cam. We have described so far the manner in which the elastic yarn isfed to the needles and the manner in which the needles are selected for that purpose. The manipulation of the sinkers and the needles for' the purposes of measuring oi! the rubber yarn (as shown in Figs. '7 and 8) and slackening the inelastic yarn I2 in certain wales (as shown in Figs. 9 and 10) form the subjectmatter of an application for patent filed by Albert E. Page and Frank R. Page on April 8, 1936 Serial No. 73,376. e

For the purpose of measuring oil. the elastic yarn as it is drawn from the cone, not only is the particular needle arrangement of value but also the manipulation of the sinkers and the needles at an auxiliary feeding point at the cam 999, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, is of particular value. Thus at this auxiliary drawdown cam 909 the needles are pulled down to draw certain lengths of yarn over the sinkers while the sinkers serve to assist in this measuring operation by being partially withdrawn until the yarn lies on their knocking-over ledges and then being pushed in again to their normal position which draws bights of yarn in the throats. The means by which all the sinkers are thus'retracted betore the elastic yarn is fed to the needles consists of an auxiliary sinker cam I99 in the usual sinker, cam cap 900 which contacts the butts of all the sinkers 999, 900 and withdraws them slightly (Fig. 7) The result is that the elastic yarn gets below the nebs onto the knocking-over ledges of the sinkers (Figs. 7 and 8). The return movement to normal position is obtained by means of stationary sinker cam I90. The auxiliary sinker cam I99 to withdraw the sinkers is mounted on a spring steel blade I9I on the upper face of the sinkercam cap. When this spring blade is allowed to spring upwardly to its free position the cam I99 mounted on its lower side will not engage the butts of the sinkers but when it is held down it will engage the butts of all the sinkers'and pull them out. The stationary cam 'I90 then draws bights of the elastic yarn between the raised needles. The control of this c'am I99 and the spring blade I9I on which it is mounted is obtained from the same thrust rod 990 which controls the idling of the yarn finger and the movement into and out of operative position of the lowering cam 999. The connection between the spring blade I9I and thrust rod 950 consists of a long arm I92 pivoted midway of its length on the latch ring bracket llII. The forward end of this arm I92 overlies the spring blade I9I. The rear end of the arm overlies the upper end of the thrust rod 960 and passing through the rear end of this rigid arm I92 is a.

set screw I93 permitting vertical adjustment of the cam I99. There is a tension spring I99 from the rear end of the arm I92 to the thrust rod to be sure that contact is maintained between the arm and the thrust rod.

A more defined ribbed appearance is obtained when the sinkers on either side of the tying needles slacken the wales where the elastic passes 75 through. The mechanism for thus pushing in the high butt sinkers 999 on either side of the needle in back of which the elastic yarn has been laid consists of an adaptation of the mechanism of the Robert W. Scott Patent 1,189,220, dated June 27, 1916, using sinkers having different butt lengths and putting sinkers with butts long enough to be acted on by a special sinker cam 3I2 only on either side of the needles in back of which the elastic yarn is laid. e The timing of the insertion and the control and manipulation of the cam 9J2 can be theme as in the Scott this thrust rod 991i for this purpose with the other uses which are made of it, it may be necessary to equip the entirecircumference of the' main pattern drum I20 in line with the thrust rod'with cams of various heights except for the patent. In other words the extra thrust on short portion or surface of the main pattern drum which corresponds to the part travelled over by the thrust rod while elastic yarn is being inserted. At this point the thrust rod will be down resting directly on the surface of the main pattern drum I20 and the thrust plate 919 will bepushing against the sinker cam 9| 2 suf ficiently to give the special inward thrust of the" desired sinkers (Fig. 9).

The construction of the machine having been described, its operation will now be setforth. Assuming that the machine is knitting from top to toe, 'so much of its operation as relates to the elastic yarn will be described. The mam rack wheel (not shown) is given a rack going out of the toe as usual. on this rack the main pattern drum I20 is turned, causing the thrust rod 9." to ride up on the drum cm 959 (Fig. 11). At this moment the semi-circle of needles corresponding to the toe, i. e., the needles n and n having the two longest butts, are opposite the lowering cam 999, the raising cam 999 and the short lowering cam 999 but have not yet been lowered from their inoperative position. The thrust rod I pushes inthe slide 999 carrying the three cams into their operative positions at this time. Even after the long butt needles are lowered into action the three cams have no effect on the knitting because the elastic yarn finger I26 is still out of action.

When it is desired to start insertion of the elastic yarn the remaining changes are instituted by a high link on the main pattern chain which lowers the main pawl (not shown) into action for four courses. The cycle of movement of the pawl and the location of the next notch inthe main rack wheel are such that the rack wheel starts turning almost immediately after the idler goes. into operation, and the forward movement of the pawl and rack wheel lasts for almost two courses. The main pattern drum I29 is racked v with the main rack wheel. As soon as the rack from the heel side of the needle circle and the M and the cam 389 is put into operative relation with those needles which have just passed it, but not far enough in, as yet, to contact the shorter butt needles n n Toward the end of the rack the thrust rod 469 rides up onto the high drum cam surface 451 and the drawdown cam 389 goes in the rest of the way where it can contact all needle butts. It makesthis second part of its movement while the longer butt needles are oppcsite it. This drawdown cam assists in measuring oil the elastic yarn whenever the same is fed to the needles.

As soon as this rack',starts, the main pattern drum releases the elastic yarn finger to its intermittent control by the gear 55 by raising the stud I43 out of contact with the side arm I44 on the depending arm I31. If desired, the cam 59I on the gear 65 may be so positioned that the finger 592 is not on the cam at the moment that the yarn finger I26 is released from the pattern drum control. With such a setting the tension spring I33 at once pulls the feeding end I28 of the finger into operative position. The yarn catches in the hooks of four or five needles and then, having effected this preliminary locating, the cam 59I on the gear 65 engages the finger 592, rocks the depending arm the wire I29, swings the yarn finger I26 out of operation. The yarn goes into the notch 393 in 30 the cutter plate 392 and plays around there for three revolutions of the needle cylinder until the yarn is inserted again. Such a notch is not necessary on some types and sizes of machines. During the same starting rack the special manipulations of the sinkers are begun. When the thrust rod 469 rides up onto the high drum cam surface 451-which occurs about seveneighths .of a revolution of the cylinder after the rack beganthe thrust rod swings the pivoted arm I92, pushing down the spring blade I 9I and the auxiliary sinker cam I89 till the latter engages the butts of all the sinkers. The sinkers are thus retracted by the cam I89 and the elastic yarn is laid on the knocking over ledges of the i sinkers at about" this point (Figs. 7 and 8). The sinkers are then pushed in by cam I99 and simultaneously the needles are pulled down by the auxiliary draw down cam 389, thus causing the elastic yarn to be drawn and measured off by both the needles and sinkers in V-sha-ped bights between the needles around which the elastic yarn is laid. By laying the elastic yarn around three adjacent needles two such bights of yarn are formed. This insertion of cam I99 begins while the short butt sinkers are opposite the cam.

About one-quarter of a.revolution later the slackening of the sinker wales on either sideof the needle where the elastic yarn is tied in is commenced. This is caused by the thrust rod 469 riding off the end of the drum cam surface 459 down onto the surface of the pattern drum (Fig. 12). The lowering of this thrust rod causes insertion of the cam 3I2 (Fig. 9) in the manner shown in the above-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,189,220.

The machine is now adjusted to put in the elastic yarn, the drum cams and their thrust rods being in the positions shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13. The needle cams are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with cams 385, 388 and 389 in position to engage all needle butts, cam 383' to engage the three longest butt needles n n and 11 while cam 384 is adapted to engage only the longest butt needles 1;. The cams 383, 79 384 and 385 select the groups of three needles n 7 and 8. A sharp V of yarn I31 and, pulling on' groups of three needles n from the instep side of the needle circle, and leave them raised above the needles n and 12. respectively. On a course where the elastic yarn finger I26 is in its operative position, when the last needle which received the elastic yarn the last time it was tied in, passes beneath the lower end of the feeding tube I28 and moves beyond, the yarn assumes a direction which brings it under the hook of about the sixth needle beyond the finger,-the needles n n having begun their ascent on cam 388 just below the tube I28,and the elastic yarn is taken by approximately the same needle as the one where it wentout. This occurs even if the finger is inserted well in advance of the arrival of the last needle to which the elastic yarn is tied. The needles n 1: then ride down cam 389, causing the elastic yam to'go in back of the single needles n n At about the same time occurs the pulling of the elastic yarn off the cone by the sinkers and the needles under the influence of cams I99 and 389 respectively, as shown in Figs. is drawn between every two adjacent needles around which the yarn is,laid. This shows the advantage of laying the yarn around a plurality of needles.

However, the needles were not cleared before reaching cam 389, so no stitches are drawn, and as all the needles rise up cam 36I to clear and go through the regular knitting wave, the sinkers are withdrawn, as usual. The needles receive .the regular inelastic yarn I2 as usual from the yarn finger F (Fig. 9) and stitches are drawn. The slackening cam 3I2 then pushes in further than usual the high butt sinkers 399, which are on either side of the needles in back of which the elastic yarn was laid, thus giving the elastic yarn plenty of room to pass through the fabric even when the yarn is contracted, and the stitches are knocked over. When the course of elastic yarn is laid in, the cam 59I engages the finger 592 and the yarn finger I26 is moved inside the needle circle for three courses while the elastic yarn moves around as a chord inside the circle.

When it is time to take the elastic yarn out of action for the balance of the sock or anklet, there is another link on the main pattern chain which actuates the main rack wheel. At the moment that this rack starts, the elastic yarn finger I26 may be out of action because the finger 592 is on the gear cam 59I. At the start of the rack the thrust rods 469 and 46I drop off their cam surfaces 45'! and 456 to the surface of the main pattern drum. movement of the thrust rod 469 brings the stud I43 into contact with the arm I44 and the yarn finger is then held out of action regardless of the cam 59I and finger 592. Just a fraction of a revolution before this thrust rod dropped off its cam surface 451 the thrust rod 46I released theslide 386 and the cams 383, 384, 385 and 388 retired under the influence of their springs 391 and 394. The last part of the drop of thrust rod 469 released the spring blade I9I which raised its sinker cam out of action. At this moment the thrust rod 469 rides up on a drum cam, allowing the sla'ckeningcam 3| 2 to retire. Thus by the end of the rack all the special adjustments due to the elastic yarn have been eliminated.

- What we claim is:

'1. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles and a yarn finger adapted to move across the needle line to present and withdraw a yarn, in combination with cams The first part of the downwardfinger and to cause ately thereafter till theirhook ends are above a,

adapted to cause all needles to pass below the needles to beraised immedithe feeding end of the yarn finger, whereby-the yarn will be inserted at substantially the needle where-last withdrawn on a previous course.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles and a yarn to present to the needles at certain courses, a yarn withdrawn at a previous course, and means adapted to lower all needles to pass said yarn finger below the level thereof, in combination with other cam means adapted to raise needles till their hook ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger at a point immediately following same, whereby the yarn will be inserted at substantially the needle where withdrawn.

3. In a method of operating a circular knitting machine, the steps of withdrawing a yarn finger from feeding position without cutting the yarn and then on a subsequent course reintroducing the yarn at substantially the needle where withdrawn by lowering the needles till they pass just below the level of the yarn finger, moving the finger to operative position outside the, needle circle and raising the needles till their hook ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger just after they pass the finger so as to cause the yarn to begin feeding after the needle where the yarn was withdrawn has been raised.

4. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles and a yarn finger adapted to move acrom the needle line to present and withdraw a yarn, in combination with cams adapted to cause all needles to pass below the finger and to cause needles to be raised immediately thereafter till their hook ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger but not to clear them, whereby the yarn will be inserted at substantially the needle where last withdrawn on a previous course, clearing the needles and .feeding and knitting in another yarn on the same course.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles and a yarn finger adapted to move across the needle circle to present a yarn at certain courses, in combination with means adapted to lower all needles to pass below said yarn finger and to raise selected needles till their hook ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger immediately after passage by said finger but without clearing same, whereby when the yarn is in its feeding position it will be inserted at substatially the needle where last withdrawn, a second yarn finger adapted to feed yarn to all the needles,"and clearing and knitting cams adapted to act 'on all needles subsequently on the same course. I

6. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles having needles with butts ofat least four different lengths, in combination with a yarn finger adapted to present and withdraw a yarn, and cam means adapted to lower all the needles below the level of the yarn finger as they pass it, and immediately thereafter toraise the needles with the outside buttlengths till their hook ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger whereby the yarn will be inserted at substantially the needle where last withdrawn. 1

independent needles having finger adapted will be inserted at other needles to a inserted at substantially the 7. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of at least four butt lengths, and a' yarn finger adapted to present and withdraw a yarn, in combination with cam meansadapted to locate two butt lengths at one-level and the other two at at the point opposite the yarn finger, both levels being below said finger, and other cam means adapted to raise the needles at one level immediately after passing the yarn finger, whereby the yarn will be inserted at substantially the needle where last withdrawn.

8. In acircular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles having at least four butt lengths, and a yarn finger adapted to present independentneedles having at least four butt lengths, and a yarn finger adapted to present and withdraw a yarn, incombination with cam means adapted to lower the shortest butt needles below the level of the finger and all other needles to a still lower level, and a cam adapted to raise the longest butt needles to the level of the shortest butt needles. and another cam adapted to raise the shortest and the longest butt needles till their book ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger immediately after passing same but not to clear them, whereby the yarn the needle where withdrawn. 10. In a circular knitting machine, a circle of independent needles having lengths, and a yarn finger adapted to present and withdraw a yarn, incombination with cam means adapted to lower the shortest butt' level of the finger and all still lower level, and a. cam longest butt needles to the level ofthe shortest butt needles, and another cam adapted to raise the shortest and the longest butt needles till their hook ends are above the feeding end of the yarn finger immediately after passing same but not to clear them, whereby the yarn will be inserted at the, needle where withdrawn, and other cam means adapted to clear all needles and knock them over on the same course.

- 11. In a circular knitting machine, a independent needles and a yarn finger needles below the adapted to raise the circle of adapted to present to selected needles at certain courses.-

a yarn withdrawn at a previous course, and means adapted to cause all needles to pass said yarn finger below'the level thereof, in combination with other cam means adapted to raise selected needles till their hook ends are. above the feeding end of the yarn finger at a point immediately following same, whereby the yarn will be needle where withdrawn.

- ALBERT E. PAGE. HARRY SWINGIEHURST, Js.

another leveL.

at least four butt CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,083,394. June 8, 1937.

ALBERT E. PAGE, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error, appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, first column, line 7, for the words "yarn in the" read yarn in in the; line 56, for "such" read so; and. second column, line 30, for the reference numeral "255" read 355; page 6, first column, line 54, claim 5, for "substatially" read substantially; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of July, A. D. 1937.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

